Storque(d)

We were recently given the opportunity to share our story about Project 8256 with The Storque - Etsy's Handmade Blog. It posted today, so you can read all about it right here. Many thanks to Katie and everyone at The Storque for all of their hard work, and for giving us this opportunity!

Have a wonderful week!

xo,
Amy

thankful

I'm a little late (as always) in posting about Thanksgiving. But mine was absolutely lovely, and I hope--if you are in the US and celebrate that sort of thing--that yours was too. I had my family over to my house this year, and the day made for a memory that I will hold on to for a long time.

The table:

A very quick, inexpensive project. I mod-podged doilies onto glass cylinders that I had on hand. The dishes and goblets were passed down to me by my grandmother the day before. What perfect timing!

I hope that, no matter where you are, you are finding much to be thankful for!

xo,
Amy

Deep Roots

I thought I would share the final result of my piece for the "46 Flags" exhibit at City Arts Center here in Oklahoma City. We were asked to create a symbolic representation of what it meant to live in Oklahoma.

"Deep Roots" - acrylic and paper on wood

Words cut into the silhouette of the Survivor Tree from the Oklahoma City National Memorial: "We are Survivors, and we are of this land, and we love this land. And we have deep roots, and we will carry on, and on, and on."

Various bits and pieces, including some very old family photos (the one on the top includes my grandfather as a very young boy).

The opening is tonight, and it will run through December 20th. For additional photos, you can visit my flickr site.

A new addition...

We are now an Etsy family. My sister and brother-in-law just opened an Etsy shop of their very own: The Gathered Nest. They are also using this as a fundraising tool for their adoption, and are donating all profits to their adoption fund for their TWO children that they will be adopting from Ethiopia. They are doing such a fantastic job so far and have some really lovely items. And they've already received a little exposure in Etsy's news source, The Storque!

They have an assortment of lovely vintage items...

And beautiful handmade wreaths, just in time for the holidays...

You can visit their shop here. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Mine is turning out perfectly, so far.

xo,
Amy

Sycamore Street Press

A little while ago, Eva from Sycamore Street Press contacted me (you might remember them from the orange and gray letterpress alphabet poster I was longing for a couple of posts down). She and her husband were looking for an organization to donate a portion of the proceeds from their 2009 calendar to -- and they were considering AHOPE! Well, their calendar is now available and they are donating fifty percent  of the proceeds to AHOPE.  So exciting.  It comes in two absolutely beautiful colorways, and helps out an amazing organization which, as you know, is very close to my heart -- so how can you resist? Have a look...

in red and chartreuse 

a closer look- in yellow and gray 

Check out their Etsy shop or their website for more lovelies.

Thanks Eva and Kirk!  I hope it's an amazing success!

xo,

Amy

in color

I had some errands to run this morning and it was so cool outside, a little overcast, the perfect fall day.  It got me really excited for cold weather - layers, extra blankets on the bed, switching from my iced coffee beverages to warm ones.  I didn't get to enjoy much of the day, though, as I forced myself into my studio to begin a project that seems to get continually pushed to the side.  It's only step one (of many), but I'm liking the direction so far...



A closer look...




Inspired by the earth and skies of Oklahoma. And, I realized after, it's somewhat similar to my current fave pair of shoes...



Hope things are nice where you are.

xo,
Amy

Sounds (that are) Good: Adele

"Adele" as photographed by Bianca Barrett on Birmingham Live!'s Flickr photostream

Adele is another artist that I kind of just happened upon.  And I am so glad that I did.  Her voice is incredible--and she recorded her debut album, 19, at well, nineteen.  Ridiculous.  I can always tell how much I am enjoying a particular artist by how often I listen to their album after first acquiring it--and how many other artists I filter in within that same time frame.  And I can say with no small amount of certainty that 19 was the only album getting any of my attention for quite some time. 

She cites Etta James and Dusty Springfield as influences, and that is definitely apparent in her music.  If you have been enjoying artists like Amy Winehouse or Duffy you might give her a listen.  But I think that you'll find that she has a sound that is, thankfully, uniquely her own. And she wrote all of the songs on the album, except for her cover of Bob Dylan's "Make you Feel My Love".   So she has that going for her too.

You can sample some tracks on her MySpace, if you'd like to give her a listen.  Happy October!  More to come.

xo,

Amy